Mortu Nega (1988)

Against the backdrop of the twenty-year War of Independence in Guinea-Bissau , Mortu Nega follows thirty-year-old Diminga, whose husband is fighting on the front lines against the Portuguese colonists. The war is drawing to a close, but it soon becomes clear that in many respects the struggle has only just begun, and that the new burdens rest on the shoulders of the women. Mortu Nega, those who refuse death, bear the responsibility of reshaping the devastated country.

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This political parable is the first feature film in independent Guinea-Bissau and also the first fictional film to portray the experiences of the war. In an understated tone, director Flora Gomes weaves history with mythology into small stories that prove that film served as an important weapon in the decolonial struggle.

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Mortu Nega Flora Gomes, 1988, Guinea-Bissau, 85 min 

Various languages ​​spoken / English subtitles